Short barreled 7mm ??? Help me pick - people with experience please

codyadams

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I'll start this off with a disclaimer, because unfortunately I need to so we can stay on task.

If you are going to try to tell me "with a short barrel you might as well make a 7mm-08" then please go away, that is simply incorrect, your input is not needed, and it's not the topic being discussed here. PSA finished, thanks!

So I built a 20" 7 MAX for my wife, some of you may have seen the thread, we're sending 175's at 2906 fps. It has a shorter LOP Manners stock, and is a sweet little compact gun that takes care of business. Well, my Father in law is only about 5'5", and the rifle fits him great, and asked me to build him one just like it but with a different stock. He wanted to go 7mm, so here we are.

I have an 8 twist Proof 7mm barrel tat will be cut down to 18-20", and a Christiansen arms mag bolt face long action set up for beltless magnums with the bottom metal and mag box, but that can always be changed. The rifle will have a brake for now, possibly eventually a supressor, but he hasn't started down that road yet. Here are some of my thoughts....

28 nosler, 28 Sherman Magnum, 7 max, 7 rem mag, 7 mega.

I have dies for 7 mag, 7 max, and 28 nosler, but I am not opposed to buying new dies.

I have done a good amount of load develooement on the 7 max so I know what to expect there. I have seen people getting around 150 fps more with the Nosler case, and haven't seen anyone with a short barreled 28 SM. I haven't found anyone going with a short barreled 7 mag yet, but I would bet it would be close to the 7 max.

So, anyone with experience have any input?
 
Me thinking of my past disclaimers lol.
Happy Toddlers And Tiaras GIF
 
In general you will loose less fps with the short fat cartridges, but you may still match or exceed them with a long cartridge but you buy that with a lot more powder and recoil to dampen. My short barrel WSMs lost about 20fps/inch as compare to the longer barrel versions. Out of the standard 7s the SAUM and WSMs seem to be the most efficient short fat ones that typically provide great performance and have several sources for brass. The Sherman 7mm Max would be a great likely very efficient cartridge in a shorter barrel, but has the wildcat issues which may not be a big deal for you. With your long action you can long throat the chamber of any of the short mags to fit long heavy bullets. When my 6.5 PRC barrel is used up I will likely switch to the SAUM or the Max. So for my money in a short barrel balancing recoil, velocity, powder use etc. I would go for a short fat mag.

Two good podcasts to listen to with a lot of info on practical data is the following.

 
I'm considering the same thing as you described, & considered several chamberings.

I'd probably go with the 7MAX,
You've got that Dialed !!
Or the 7 MEGA !!

Build it close to what you have, as that is what your father in law likes.

If going short barrel, like 20"-22"
I'd definitely recommend FIL get busy on suppressor purchase.

If not going suppressed, I'd maybe go with
A bit longer barrel 23-24" add a break only if you have to.

I currently have a short barreled 6.5 Max,
One of my favorite 6.5's to date,
and am very pleased with rifle & cartridge choice.

Have Fun!!
 
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I have been leaning towards the max too, only downside is I would need to sell the current bdl set up and switch to a dbm style for feeding purposes, tried to do the bdl thing for my wife's rifle, ya that didn't work. Feeding was troublesome to say the least. Switched to a dbm style and feeding is now smoothed up significantly. With a cartridge like the 28 Nosler, it would be right at home in the current set up, as that family of cartridges this action was originally chambered in.
 
I would agree on the short, fat, more efficient cartridges. I built a 7 SAUM with a 22" barrel for shooting suppressed 100% of the time and am shooting 175gr elites at 2,844 fps with VV N560. There's a little more room for speed but this node is shooting 1/3 MOA out to 1,000 yards right now, so I'm not messing with it.

I also talked a buddy into building one and he re-barreled a Seekins Rifle with a 20" Benchmak and is shooting the 175gr elites at 2,865 fps also with VV N560. He also shoots suppressed 100% of the time.

I built mine on a tikka action and used an aftermarket metal bottom metal from desert rifle works and am using the mountain tactical billet aluminum mags - both have worked extremely well for me thus far. I throated it for a long action and am shooting a COAL of 3.080".

I was tossing around the same ideas as you for this build - 7 rem mag, 7 MAX, 28 Nosler, etc. For me, I can get very close to the same performance out of the SAUM with a 22" as the Rem Mag - but with 10% less powder. Honestly, I think the performance would be very similar.

With the MAX and Nosler, you'd definitely be getting more performance, but I don't think it's worth the extra recoil and powder to make it happen. My rifle weighs around 8.5 lbs with everything on it and I can spot my impacts very easily - I don't think I would change a thing if I did it again, except maybe a 20" barrel!

Good luck with your decision, but it sounds like they will all be winners!
 
I'll start by saying, I'm partial to the MAX. The 100-150 fps costs me about 3 grains of powder and no felt recoil differences over the SAUM, but let me say my second choice would be the SAUM.

I am building a 7MAX this week for my son. I wanted 20" barrels for them, but 24" was what I could get in a Bartlein Carbon.
Getting 3k and 2950 fps with 175 EH and 180 ELDM respectively.

The 7RM isn't an improvement on either if these.
The Nosler will add another 100-150 fps, but at the cost of 21% more powder and 25% increase in recoil.
The other Sherman's will likewise add significant recoil and burn considerably more powder. The increases in velocity are there but at a high price for me. The MAX is the center of the bullseye.
 
7 saum - 20'' would be my pick. We've built shorty's in 300 wsm, 6.5 prc, 6.5 creed - the 7 saum has flat out got it done.

I just put together another lightweight 22'' 7 saum this past week, we run 175 ELDx in the 7's. From near to far they have performed excellent.

This second to last 7 saum we built is running 2900 fps w/reloader 23.

If you built this on the long action you could possibly see even higher velocity - maybe send the barrel over to shawn at DE to have him +P that bad boy!
 
I have been leaning towards the max too, only downside is I would need to sell the current bdl set up and switch to a dbm style for feeding purposes, tried to do the bdl thing for my wife's rifle, ya that didn't work. Feeding was troublesome to say the least. Switched to a dbm style and feeding is now smoothed up significantly. With a cartridge like the 28 Nosler, it would be right at home in the current set up, as that family of cartridges this action was originally chambered in.


Bingo Cody, I'd be all over the 28 Noz.

I have been using the 28 Noz from the mid 50's and 60's called the 7 Mashburn Super for close to 3 decades. I do love me the big 28's!

Go 8 twist, cut to the length you desire and get to rocking the world!
 
I've had great luck with my 20" 7ss shooting 168's, most guys go for the 180's but the 168's going 2950 out of a 20" tube works great for me
 
Not even going too get started on those pod cast's and their ridiculous numbers! nothing like downplaying too make others look great! 🤣🤣

I've built them all and if your stuck on a 7mm cal
build the 28 nosler 20" barrel 8 twist
its carbon so the brake will be awesome because of size, id run the Ti pro 3 self timer
I would run the 180 hybrid or 175 elite hunter .. hell I have guys running the 195 that are in love with that combo!
long action so it will feed like butter
recoil will be about like a non broke 22-250...
 
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